jar
1 Americannoun
-
a broad-mouthed container, usually cylindrical and of glass or earthenware.
a cookie jar.
-
the quantity such a container can or does hold.
verb (used without object)
-
jars,
present (3rd person singular)
-
jarred,
past participle, past
-
jarring
present participle
-
to have a harshly unpleasant or perturbing effect on one's nerves, feelings, thoughts, etc..
The sound of the alarm jarred.
-
to produce a harsh, grating sound; sound discordantly.
-
to vibrate audibly; rattle.
The window jarred in the frame.
-
to vibrate or shake.
-
to conflict, clash, or disagree.
verb (used with object)
-
jars,
present (3rd person singular)
-
jarred,
past participle, past
-
jarring
present participle
-
to cause to rattle or shake.
-
to have a sudden and unpleasant effect upon (the feelings, nerves, etc.).
The burglary violently jarred their sense of security.
-
to cause to sound harshly or discordantly.
noun
-
a jolt or shake; a vibrating movement, as from concussion.
-
a sudden unpleasant effect upon the mind or feelings; shock.
-
a harsh, grating sound.
-
a discordant sound or combination of sounds.
-
a quarrel or disagreement, especially a minor one.
noun
idioms
verb
-
to vibrate or cause to vibrate
-
to make or cause to make a harsh discordant sound
-
(often foll by on) to have a disturbing or painful effect (on the nerves, mind, etc)
-
(intr) to disagree; clash
noun
-
a jolt or shock
-
a harsh discordant sound
noun
-
a wide-mouthed container that is usually cylindrical, made of glass or earthenware, and without handles
-
Also: jarful. the contents or quantity contained in a jar
-
informal a glass of alcoholic drink, esp beer
to have a jar with someone
-
obsolete a measure of electrical capacitance
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
jarsimple
-
jarssimple
-
have jarredperfect
-
has jarredperfect
-
am jarringprogressive
-
are jarringprogressive
-
is jarringprogressive
-
have been jarringperfect progressive
-
has been jarringperfect progressive
Past
-
jarredsimple
-
had jarredperfect
-
was jarringprogressive
-
were jarringprogressive
-
had been jarringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of jar1
First recorded in 1585–95; Middle English jarre “liquid measure smaller than a barrel,” possibly from Old French jarre, from Spanish or Portuguese jarra, jarro “a jar, pitcher,” or from Medieval Latin jarra, from Old Provençal jarra, from Arabic jarrah “earthen water vessel”
Origin of jar2
First recorded in 1520–30; probably imitative; cf. chirr
Origin of jar3
Explanation
A jar is a smooth-sided, round container that's often made of glass. Jars are useful for storing food, from rice to tea bags to cookies. A wide-mouth jar made of pottery might hold Oreos, and a small, short jar could contain homemade jam. When you put something in a jar, you jar it. Another way to use the verb version of jar is to mean "shock painfully or unpleasantly:" "Every bump we drove over in the old Jeep would jar my whole body." The jar that's a container probably stems from the Middle French jarre, "liquid measure."
Vocabulary lists containing jar
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 1
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"A Night to Remember," Vocabulary from the history writing
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The Darkest Minds
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"There are a number of pieces of information in these notes that just might jar someone to say 'you know, I've heard that'," said Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
Everyone has a different jar of jelly beans with which to make their calculations.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Richard Thomas came out carrying venison and beef sausage, banana nut bread, a dog toy and a jar of apple maple bacon jam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Pour the slices into a mason jar or glass container and mash with a fork.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
The jar was a little dusty, but I think it’s okay—after all, she pecks around in the dirt all day, and that book said she even eats small rocks.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
Before long, his concoction was such a hit that guests were begging for jars to take home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Another reader stores leftovers and produce in Mason jars or reusable silicone bags instead of disposable zip-top bags.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Growing up in an Italian family, there was never a shortage of jars in the pantry.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
These small mesh tents cover less than a square meter of ground and funnel emerging insects into glass jars.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026
The little shed was lined to the ceiling with shelves full of nuts and bolts, wires, tools, jars filled with shards of glass and broken bits of sheet metal.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
I’ve happily sung the praises of jarred garlic and frozen ginger cubes.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
"I jarred my knee earlier so i'm going to have to go and get that checked out."
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
Scientists, jarred by Beecher’s findings, grew more invested in ruling out the possibility that a drug’s effects were due to placebo.
From Slate ● Jan. 30, 2026
The lack of clarity raises the prospect that the chaos of the past few days, which jarred markets and stress tested trans-Atlantic diplomacy, could return in the near future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
Davos almost bit his tongue off when his teeth jarred together.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
That sum was jarring enough to send me hunting for answers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The shift is slightly jarring, akin to settling in for an episode of “Baywatch” and suddenly finding yourself watching “On the Waterfront.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Heil said he had just visited an exhibit featuring art made by artificial intelligence - an experience which he described as jarring.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
My recitation about the environmental ingenuity of enslaved people in the Underground Railroad was clearly jarring to many in the audience, perhaps even hostile to their understanding of Blackness.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
Their feet fell heavily on the trail, jarring their bodies and doubling the fatigue of a day’s travel.
From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
